Waimanalo to clean house
By Eloise Aguiar
Windward O'ahu Writer
WAIMANALO — Spring cleaning will take on a new meaning Saturday as the Waimanalo community sweeps its house from mauka to makai, from Sea Life Park to Saddle City, in an ambitious project to rid the area of trash and derelict automobiles.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
Some 500 volunteers working with the Waimanalo Clean Up Coalition will visit homes, roadways and streams in one of the biggest community cleanups on the island. Residents, police officers, military personnel from Hickam, inmates, children and city workers will participate.
Liz and Glenn Martinez are among the organizers of the massive Waimanalo cleanup scheduled Saturday to rid the community of roadside debris and other trash.
This week, people are posting notices, sending letters and spreading the word about the cleanup. Volunteers are telling residents to bring their trash to the curbside, and a fleet of trucks will haul the rubbish away.
The cleanup has attracted people from all walks of life.
Elijah Isaac, 13, wants to clean up the eyesore on Hihimanu Street where people dump trash and old vehicles.
Isaac belongs to the Kai Makana program, in which youth learn about environmental awareness and protection and are taught leadership skills. His participation in the cleanup will fulfill a requirement of the program.
He said he doesn't mind picking up other people's mess.
"That's how my grandma raised me," Isaac said. "She'd say, 'I don't care whose rubbish it is, just pick it up.' "
• To participate in the cleanup, meet organizers at 7:30 a.m. Saturday at Waimanalo Elementary and Intermediate School. • The group is seeking donations to provide a lunch for participants. To contribute, call 259-0223.
The focus of the cleanup will be on streams and roadways, including the removal of furniture, appliances and old cars, said Mabel Ann Spencer, one of the organizers of the event.
If you want to help
Chevron, Ameron Hawai'i and local businesses have contributed to the event.
Other organizers include state Rep. Joe Gomes, R-51st (Waimanalo, Keolu Hills, Lanikai, Enchanted Lake); Glenn and Liz Martinez, president and vice president of the Hawaii Equestrian Trail Association; Pi'ilani Kai of the Waimanalo Health Center; Air Force Lt. Andrew Hoisington and Kailua resident Shannon Wood.
The group will create a database of the trash removed and use it for education, Spencer said.
"We want to prevent habitual violations," Spencer said, "so the problem doesn't get as bad as it is."
Farmers who lease state land will benefit from the cleanup, said Clifford Migita, president of the Waimanalo Agriculture Association.
The state has been cracking down on lessees to remove derelict vehicles from farm land, Migita said.
But farmers are reluctant because of the cost and the possibility of receiving a citation. However, during the cleanup, the city is offering an amnesty and won't issue any citations. The city will remove the vehicles at no cost to farmers.
The coalition is talking about making this an annual cleanup, he said.
"Hopefully, it will snowball and we'll get everybody involved," Migita said.
The 15th Air Base Wing at Hickam will bring 135 military personnel, family members and civilians to the cleanup, said Col. Al Riggle, 15th ABW commander.
Some of these volunteers will clean inside Bellows Air Station from the guard shack to Kalaniana'ole Highway.
All of them expect to be paired with residents to get to know them better, Riggle said.
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com. or 234-5266.
